1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to display devices capable of interdigitation, and more specifically to computer architectures for projection devices performing stereo view interdigitation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Autostereoscopic displays provide a user or viewer with a three dimensional image without the need for polarizing eyewear or other viewing equipment. Lenticules are generally long, relatively thin lenses, sometimes formed into an array, wherein each viewing point, such as each viewer's eye, focuses on a different lenticule or thin lens in the array. Lenticular-based autostereoscopic displays, such as StereoGraphics' SynthaGram™, present the user with a realistic stereoscopic visual scene representation by displaying multiple perspective views. The user's eyes see a pair of images from the array of perspective views and a stereoscopic image is formed in the user's mind.
The SynthaGram™ display utilizes a lenticular lens array, precisely positioned on top of a flat panel digital color display (e.g. LCD or plasma) and used to optically separate views combined in the displayed image. This combination process is known as interdigitation or Interzigging™, and is a precise mapping of input perspective views to output subpixel components that takes into account the physical properties of the lenticular array and its alignment with the display. The input perspective views are assumed to be created in a digital format, properly composed, aligned, balanced, having appropriate parallax, and each view is of the same horizontal and vertical pixel dimensions. Creation of the perspective views is computationally challenging, and perspective views can be created by various techniques including photography methods and computer graphics software processing.
Display pixels are composed of a set of adjacent subpixels, typically organized in a red-green-blue pattern. The subpixels are assumed herein to be truly adjacent, however the reality is that a small “grout” boundary surrounds each subpixel. Interdigitation mapping represents a relatively accurate or correct assignment of subpixels in the perspective views to subpixel elements in the display. The mapping is uniquely based on the size and physical properties of the lenticular lens sheet. Such properties include the linear density (or a related representation such as pitch) of the lenticules on the sheet, and the slant angle of the lenticules relative to the flat panel color display. The interdigitation mapping assumes that the display resolution has a fixed pixel dimension (e.g. 1600×1200 pixels).
The SynthaGram™ is described in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,088, “Method and Apparatus for Maximizing the Viewing Zone of a Lenticular Stereogram,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,281, “Synthetic Panoramagram, as well as in U.S. Patent Publications 20020036825, “Autostereoscopic Screen” and 20020011969, “Autostereoscopic Pixel Arrangement Techniques,” each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
One challenge with autostereoscopic display in general and the SynthaGramm™ in particular is the accurate processing of the significant quantities of data. Slow processing can materially affect viewing enjoyment, as the timing of motion pictures and pixel information is highly critical to the viewing experience.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide an architecture that can operate in the foregoing environment and rapidly and accurately provides data used in the interdigitation process. Such an architecture may be beneficial in overcoming drawbacks present in previously known systems and having improved functionality over devices exhibiting those negative aspects described herein.